Mothers, Be Good to Your Daughters
by Typical Fangirl
Summary: "'I don't know if I'm ready to forgive you.'" Quinn and Judy try to make amends.
1. Daughters Become Mothers

This is a semi-sequel to "Smile Though Your Heart Is Aching", but it isn't necessary to read it to understand this. I was asked to show Quinn and Judy fixing their relationship. I may write more to this, but I'll wait and see.

I don't own Glee. If I did, some crazy stuff would be happening.

* * *

Ever since the pregnancy test gave her a little pink plus sign, Quinn's hands had immediately flown to her stomach upon awakening. The bump grew bigger every day until she could barely see past it.

And one day, it was just gone.

Quinn tried to be thankful. Beth had gone to a good home. Her relationship with Puck seemed stable. Her life could go back to normal.

Well, no. She was living in her friend's guest room when she should've been at home with her parents, and that would never be normal. Mercedes and her family were wonderful, but it just wasn't _home. _Whenever she got lonely for it, though, she just remembered how her father kicked her out, and the Joneses' house became Heaven.

Her cellphone began playing "Any Girl in Love". Quinn picked it up off the nightstand and checked the caller ID. _Mom. _After a moment's hesitation, she pressed ignore.

It wasn't the last time she called that day. Almost every hour, her shopping session with Mercedes and Kurt was interrupted by the same number. Finally, after the seventh try, Quinn sent her a text.

"_This isn't something we can solve over the phone. Meet me at Breadsticks at 6:30, ok?"_

The affirmative, if short, reply was enough for her.

Much to her surprise, her mother was there waiting for her when she arrived. Quinn slid into the booth, her hands on her stomach out of habit. "Hi."

Her mother's lips moved, as though trying to smile, but unable to manage it. "Hi."

There was a long period of silence that was only interrupted by ordering their food. Quinn fiddled with a saltshaker, watching the little white crystals shift around and around. Finally, she found the courage to look her mother in the eyes and ask, "What are you expecting from this?"

This apparently took her by surprise. "I'm sorry?"

Quinn gestured at the restaurant. "This. Meeting with me, talking to me. You've called me I don't know how many times today. What do you think is going to come out of it?"

Judy appeared fascinated by the table for a few minutes. "I don't know," she said quietly. "I'm hoping for forgiveness."

"I don't…" Quinn shook her head. "I don't know if I'm ready to forgive you. I want to, Mom. I wish we could have a happy ending where we hug and make up, but this is real life. You didn't say a word when Dad threw me out."

"And it killed me every day." Judy looked up from the table. "I understand. I can't just walk back in and expect everything to be like it was before." She took Quinn's hand. "But I can try. I'm not perfect, sweetie. You of all people should know that. All I want is a second chance, and if I ruin it, then I can walk out of your life."

Six-year-old Quinn wanted to beg, _"Please, Mommy, stay with me." _Sixteen-year-old Quinn, teenage mother Quinn said, "I'll think about it." But she didn't pull away from her mother's grip on her hand until the waitress came with their food.

They ate without speaking, like so many Fabray suppers before it. The Hudsons had been quiet, but only because Carole had no idea what to do with her son's pregnant girlfriend, and they didn't have much time to get used to each other. The Puckermans usually had some sort of conversation going, whether Puck was teasing his sister or his mother was asking him why, if he had to impregnate someone, it couldn't have been a nice Jewish girl. The Joneses had lively, friendly talks about what happened at school or work that day, and Quinn had no idea how many times she'd nearly choked on her food from laughter at a joke someone told. Both families were contrasts to how no one talked after saying Grace.

When they'd finished, Judy was the first to speak. "How's the baby?"

"Good. The woman who adopted her offered to send me pictures, and I think I'll take her up on that." Shelby seemed like she'd make a good mother, from the way she helped Rachel. "I could send them to you, too."

Judy nodded. "I'd like that."

They walked out of the restaurant together. The sun was setting, turning the sky into a watercolor of pink, purple, and orange. Quinn stopped for a moment, watching the artwork above her. It was a little bit like a rainbow. "Okay," she said.

Judy stared at her. "For what?"

"You get your second chance. Just…don't mess it up. Please."

It felt like years since they'd hugged. "Thank you," Judy whispered. "I won't mess it up. I promise."

And Quinn believed her.


	2. Happy Little Working Song

Okay, so it looks like people want this to continue. Hopefully this is up to par with the last chapter.

I still don't own Glee. Things would be crazy if I did.

* * *

No matter what happened, Judy always tried her best to keep her promises. When her daughters asked for something for Christmas or their birthdays, she'd get what they wanted or as close to it as she could. If she offered to help out at the next church fundraiser, she'd show up even if she was sick. If her daughter asked her to not mess up her second chance at being a good mother, she'd do everything she could to stay in her good graces.

Quinn moved out of the Joneses' that day. She returned home with the same bag she'd left with, nothing more and nothing less than what she'd had after her half hour to pack was up. "Well…welcome home," Judy said as they walked into the house. "Nothing's really changed since you left. Your father put a lock on your door, but I know where the key is, so that's fine." She felt the instinctive plastic smile on her face and dropped it. "How are you?"

Her daughter was staring at the foyer like she'd never seen it before. It took her a moment to realize Judy had spoken. "Sorry?"

"Are you all right?"

Quinn nodded. "Yeah. I'm…" She trailed off, still looking around. "I'm home," she whispered.

* * *

Her mom unlocked the door to her room. When she opened the door, Quinn was overwhelmed by the familiarity of the place. "Can I have a minute?" she asked softly. "Alone?"

Judy hesitated before nodding. "As long as you need."

"Thanks." Quinn stepped into her bedroom for the first time in months. It looked the same as it had when she left it, only with a layer of dust coating everything. When Dad wanted something left alone, it was left alone.

There was her bed, carefully made up by the cleaning staff. There was her dresser, there was her grandmother's jewelry box. There were her Diana Ross and the Supremes CDs. There was the dress she was supposed to wear to the Chastity Ball. Everything was in its place.

Just a few weeks ago, this sight would've brought her to tears. But the pregnancy hormones were gone, and tough-as-nails Quinn Fabray, head Cheerio, had returned. She allowed herself a half-smile before running a finger along her nightstand and inspecting it critically. Oh, that _had _to be at least an inch of dust. Quinn picked up an old blanket, shook it out, and began dusting.

* * *

Judy knocked on the door lightly an hour later. "Quinn? I had Marisela make grilled cheese the way you like it…"

"Come in."

She came in to see her daughter steadfastly cleaning the dust from her room. "Oh, sweetie, you don't have to do that. The maid can-"

Quinn looked at her. "But _I _want to."

Judy stared. "Why?"

"I've…" She looked at the blanket in her hands. "I tried to pull my own weight when I stayed with Puck and Mercedes. Mrs. Jones always told me not to, but I just felt so useless, sitting around. Besides, when I go off to college, I'm not going to have a maid to clean my room for me."

The Fabrays hadn't lifted a finger to do housework in years. It had become a completely foreign concept. Judy set the plate down on a desk that had already been cleaned. "Could I help?"

Quinn nodded and grabbed another blanket. They got to work.

When most of the room was done, they sat on the floor and split the grilled cheese and talked. To a mother and daughter who'd almost never had a real conversation, it was wonderful. "So they were going at it in your room?" Quinn asked before taking a bite of her sandwich.

Judy nodded. "It was terrible. And you should've seen her- hand to God, she had so many tattoos I could barely see her skin."

Quinn broke down laughing. "_Dad? _With a woman like _that?_"

"And a nose piercing!" Despite the horror she'd felt at the time, Judy couldn't help but giggle. "She was the same sort of woman he always called a sinner, and he was- they-" She laughed with her daughter, long and loud.

It seemed like things were getting better.

* * *

If it looks like their problem is being resolved too quickly, trust me, it won't stay this happy. They still have issues to work out.


	3. Something's on my Mind

OH LOOK AN UPDATE. Sorry this took forever; I was struck with writer's block and this chapter wouldn't work no matter how many times I tried. But you don't care about that. The point is, it's back. The next chapter may be the last, but it'll be a good place to stop, I think. I might go back to writing about these two in other stories, though, because no one else does.

I don't own Glee. No one would watch it if I did.

* * *

Quinn wasn't great at physics. She was smart, yes, but there was just too much math involved, too many complex formulas to memorize. One rule she certainly understood, though, was the simple "What goes up must come down."

Quinn's hand tensed around her fork. "I'm sorry?" she said, voice full of ice.

They were in the kitchen, eating dinner. (The dining room was too big and too empty, too full of memories, to go back to.) Judy pursed her lips and swirled the remnants of her salad around the plate. "I just don't think a single woman was the right choice for your baby."

"She's a teacher. I think she'll make a good mother."

"We could've taken care of her," Judy said, not quite making eye contact.

Quinn stabbed a piece of lettuce with more force than necessary. "You work. I go to school. Beth-" She paused for a moment. "The baby wouldn't have anyone."

"We have the staff-"

"I don't want my daughter to be closer to her nanny than to her mother. Like me," she snapped. "If I kept her, I would've been there for her when she needed me. I'd stand up for her."

Judy's eyes widened. "Quinn-"

She dropped her fork. The _clang _it made as it hit the plate echoed through the kitchen. "I'll be in my room."

Quinn ignored her mother's pleas as she left. She held her head high as she walked up the stairs, into her room, and she didn't cry until she'd shut the door.

She felt like such an idiot as the hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Her mother meant well, and it was a stupid thing to get upset over. But if _she, _of all people, had something to say about good parenting, Quinn didn't want to hear it. Crying, though, was a stupid reaction. She was better than this. Drying her eyes on a blanket, she shuffled through her CDs until she found her favorite album. Diana Ross could make things better.

She was humming along to "Where Did Our Love Go" when there was a knock on the door. Quinn waited a minute. The knock came again, a little louder and more confident. She stood and opened the door. Her mother stood there with a bowl of chocolate ice cream. Judy smiled hesitantly. "Can I come in?"

"Sure."

They sat on the bed and didn't speak for a while. Judy then said, "If you don't eat this, it's going to melt, and that'll just be a mess."

Quinn allowed herself a smile and took the bowl. "Thanks."

"Maybe you had it while you were pregnant- I know I did –but I remembered that you refused to eat ice cream once you got on the Cheerios. But sometimes I had it, and you'd always look at it with the saddest face." Judy grinned. "Whenever you did, I'd offer you some, and you'd tell me all about calories and fat. But I could tell you missed it."

Quinn closed her eyes and let the spoonful of ice cream sit in her mouth. Oh, God, there was brownie in it too. "I did," she said. "I knew Coach Sylvester would murder me if I dared put on another pound, though."

Judy shook her head. "I never liked that woman. She scares me."

That was Sue Sylvester: frightening to children, senior citizens, and everyone in between. Quinn laughed softly. "Trust me, you aren't the only one."

There was a few minutes of comfortable silence. "I'm sorry, Quinn. For everything." Judy fiddled with the cloth of her dress. "I know that I can say that a thousand times and it won't help, and it won't make me feel any better. I like that I can say something, though, and hope that you can tell I mean it."

"This won't be a quick fix," Quinn said. "But it'll get there." She put the bowl on her nightstand, leaned over, and hugged her mother. "You're trying. I love you for that."

"I love you too, Quinnie."


	4. And in the End

Oh my goodness, an update. How did that happen?

My only excuse is that school has started up again, leaving me with less time to write. I noticed, though, that I should probably finish this before the second season premieres tonight, so here it is. Please excuse any and all errors, out of character behavior, and downright poor storytelling and accept that it was either this or look like a fool posting the final chapter in November.

* * *

"_So, how does it feel?"_

Quinn sighed and sat on her bed. Her eyes followed the countless, tiny, familiar marks in the ceiling. "It's…strange," she told Mercedes after a pause. "I'm getting used to being home again, and my mom's really trying, but everything's still just…"

(Two days ago, they'd spent five hours just talking about whatever happened to come up. Yesterday, they'd gotten into a stupid argument about something or other, and made up a few hours later. Quinn wondered if this was what normal families were like.)

"…Strange," she finally finished.

She could see Mercedes' face, sympathetic as ever. In her time living with the Joneses, Quinn saw that expression a lot. _"But it's not bad, right? 'Cause you know you can come right back here whenever you need to."_

Quinn smiled to herself. "No, it's not bad. I think it actually might be a little better than before. But thanks."

"_We sisters gotta look out for each other, right? Hey, Kurt's coming over soon. We're gonna go shopping. You wanna come?"_

It was tempting, certainly. "I'd love to, but I'm actually going out with my mom. She thinks back-to-school shopping will be a great mother-daughter bonding activity."

Mercedes laughed a little. _"You know Kurt's gonna look over everything you buy."_

"Oh, I know." She laughed too, recalling Kurt's scandalized expression at some of the less stylish outfits she'd pointed out during their many shopping trips.

"Quinn, sweetie?" her mom called from downstairs. "You ready to go?"

Quinn held the phone away from her face. "Just a second, Mom. Okay," she said to Mercedes, "I have to go now. Have fun without me."

"_We'll try. See you soon."_

As Quinn walked down the stairs, she realized, surprisingly, that she was really, truly happy for the first time in a while.

It felt great.


End file.
